Written By Vaibhav Tripathi
Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist spinner, shared how Delhi Capitals (DC) head coach Ricky Ponting had helped him to recover his confidence. Kuldeep was not getting enough game time while playing for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). In 2022, he joined Delhi Capitals for INR 2 crore.
“When I joined Delhi Capitals, Ricky Ponting had sent me a message. I had a word with him. He had planned to take me into the team. He told me one thing in the first match, ‘You’ll play all 14 matches no matter what. You are my main player. Don’t think you’ll be dropped for not performing.’ Then I thought that I’ve finally settled in the team,” Kuldeep Yadav said in Breakfast with Champions.
Kuldeep’s team management support has been fruitful as he has taken 22 wickets in 14 matches with a personal best of 4/14. In the present IPL season, he has secured eight wickets in nine matches and is among the top wicket-takers for his team.
He also talked about the challenging period when he underwent surgery and the subsequent recovery phase. Kuldeep acknowledged that he received support from his colleague Yuzvendra Chahal, who was also a part of the show.
“I’m close to Chahal in the Indian team. We have played together for so many years. So, I’ve discussed everything with him after my surgery. We talked a lot when I was injured. Because I had my mood swings every now and then. I was getting angry after every 15 minutes. So, I spoke to him a lot and he used to give me a lot of confidence. And he used to say, ‘It’s okay. You’ll make a roaring comeback.'”